


If Music Be The Food Of Love

by Theonewhosawitall



Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Classical Music, F/M, Friendship, Music, Secret Crush, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:28:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29548629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theonewhosawitall/pseuds/Theonewhosawitall
Summary: Rick and Juliet do not have the same taste in music at all, but they're trying.
Relationships: Juliet Higgins/Orville Wilbur Richard "Rick" Wright
Comments: 35
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

The bar wasn’t open yet but you'd never know. The music blasting out through the door was just as loud now as it would be tonight, when it was actually open. TC and Thomas shared a knowing grin. Sure enough, behind the bar, Rick was using a ketchup bottle as a microphone and singing along at full volume instead of working.

‍"WHEN! THE WOR-KIN' DAY IS DONE OH _GIRLS!_ JUST WANNA HAVE FU-UN! OH GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE-"

TC nudged Thomas playfully before joining in with, "THAT'S ALL THEY REALLY WA-A-A-A-A-ANT!"

Rick almost dropped the ketchup in surprise as they made him jump. He beamed at them as soon as he got over it though.

"SOME FU-U-U-UN!" Thomas laughed along.

"EYYY!" Rick cheered.

"WHEN! THE WORK-IN' DAY IS DONE OH - GIRLS! JUST WANT WANNA HAVE FU-UN! OH GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN!"

The three of them erupted into laughter as Rick turned the volume back down.

"So who's driving tonight?" Rick asked.

"TC's got the space for all the equipment," Thomas said.

"You've got the open roof to keep out the smell!" Rick countered.

"Yeah but the van is more comfortable," Thomas lied.

Rick raised an eyebrow. He knew Thomas well enough to know when he was lying. He looked to TC for clarification. TC grinned.

"Higgy took away the Ferrari keys."

"There it is," Rick smirked, "what'd you do?"

"Nothing! She's still mad about the tuna we carried in the backseat and she took the keys away so that I couldn't carry the bait in it let alone whatever we catch," Thomas insisted.

"We? You've never caught anything in your life!" Rick scoffed.

"What?! I totally catch fish all the time!" Thomas argued. The others just tittered at him. Thomas hauled himself up onto a stool and flashed him a grin. "How about a beer for the ride?"

"Sure," Rick grabbed a bottle and put it down on the bar. When Thomas tried to reach for it though, Rick pulled it back. "How do you wanna pay?"

TC snickered as Thomas blabbered to try and stop himself from having to pay anything, again.

"How about we take off whatever we can sell your catch for?" TC asked.

"How much can you get for an old boot these days?" Rick asked.

"Funny," Thomas laughed sarcastically.

The other two snickered along with him. Thomas opened his mouth to snark back when the music changed. Instead of moving on to another cheerful pop song, a flurry of woodwind instruments filled the air. It was a little frantic and a little dizzy and entirely unlike anything else on Rick's playlist.

"What's this?" Thomas asked.

"This, my uneducated friend, is Flight Of The Bumblebee," Rick declared.

TC arched an eyebrow, "You’re listening to Rimsky-Korsakov?"

Rick lit up and put his hand on his hip, "Impressive!"

TC grinned back at him, smugly. Rick reached over the bar to fist bump him, which made them both laugh. Thomas gave him a look.

"What?" He asked.

"Rimsky-Korsakov composed this," TC waggled a finger at the air.

Thomas glanced towards Rick for clarification. He gave a slight nod to confirm. TC smirked smugly again.

"How can you possibly know that?!" Thomas demanded.

"I've seen it on Higgy's playlist. She taught me the pronunciation though," TC admitted.

"Wow. _Wow._ You two have really changed since she entered our lives," Thomas declared.

"Someone's jealous they haven’t got class!" Rick smirked.

"Please!" Thomas cried, "You're just listening to this because you think Higgy would be impressed!"

Rick's heart missed a beat and he straightened his back, "No I'm not!"

TC's eyes lit up at the instantaneous defensiveness. "You totally are! You’re just trying to impress Higgy!"

Rick scowled, "There's nothing wrong with branching out musically! Y’know I hear this sort of thing makes you more intelligent."

"And if that doesn’t work, we can always use it to drive people out of the bar at the end of the night," TC winked.

"Everyone but Higgy," Thomas grinned back.

"Why would I care if Higgy was impressed with me?" Rick demanded.

"I don’t know, why would you?" TC asked.

Both Thomas and TC folded their arms as they waited for an answer. Rick felt his cheeks flush.

"I’m- I'm not," he lied.

"No? You're not worried about how much class she has? That's not why you've suddenly started listening to classical music? You don’t want to impress her?" Thomas challenged.

"If anyone wants to impress her its Theodore! He memorized the composer after all!" Rick cried.

"Someone's getting defensive," TC grinned.

"Me thinks the gentleman doth protest too much," Thomas agreed.

"Doth? Okay, see, now you’re the one trying to be classy," Rick huffed.

"Sick burn," TC snorted.

Rick scowled. His cheeks were already pink and he was feeling a little too frantic to think straight.

"Look, I'm sorry that I was trying to better myself and age with grace like a fine wine, I'll remember not to sully you two losers with better taste again!" He grumbled.

Rick flicked the music off altogether before grumpily gathering up his things. He kept his back to them as he did. TC and Thomas shared a knowing look. They could see the blush on cheeks and the pout on his face in the reflection of the fish tank. It didn’t take a private investigator to figure out why. After a bit of silent to and fro and an entire conversation in facial expression, TC and Thomas agreed to let this particular matter slide. Rick couldn't help having a crush.

"Hey Rick?" TC asked.

"What?" Rick sighed.

He turned back to face them, tiredly expecting more ribbing.

"You still made the fishing playlist right?" TC asked.

Rick frowned. He glanced between the two of them. Rick had known them for what felt like a life time, they had been literally caged together for months on end, he knew them well. He didn't know them to give up so easy. This had to be a build up to something, but he couldn't figure out what.

"Yeah, of course," Rick said, slowly.

 _"Without_ the classical crap?" Thomas asked hopefully.

"No classical," Rick promised.

"You sure?" Thomas pressed.

"Its all rick and roll baby, I'm not an idiot," Rick smiled.

TC snorted but Thomas wrinkled his nose. "Rick and roll?"

Rick frowned again. He reached across the bar and pulled the beer bottle out of Thomas's hand. "Give me that back, if you’re just gonna sit here and judge me you don’t deserve my beer!"

"Hey!" Thomas laughed.

Rick pulled a face at him. Thomas laughed and shook his head. There wasn't much else he could do. He knew Rick better than anyone, he knew there was no winning against him. And besides, TC's phone was ringing.

"Its Sham. He's gonna meet us down on the boat, c'mon," TC declared.

Thomas slapped the bar as he bounced off his stool and declared, "Time to fly bumblebee."

Rick groaned as he pulled on his jacket. "Is this gonna be a thing from now on?"

"Buzzzzz," TC teased back.

Rick groaned and let his arms slump sulkily, "Great. This is gonna be a thing."


	2. Chapter 2

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍With Thomas safely gone for the day, and the Ferrari keys safely locked in a security coded drawer, Juliet could relax. She didn’t need her headphones for a change. She used the built in surround sound system to fill the house with the playful keys of Chopin. Nocturne op.9 No.2 to be precise.

Kumu quietly crept into the kitchen. She could see the way Juliet's legs were curled up beneath her on her chair as she focused on her laptop. Juliet hadn’t looked this relaxed in a long time. She didn't want to disturb that. From where he was curled up on the floor by Juliet's chair, Apollo raised his head. Kumu raised a finger to her lips when he met her eye. Obediently, he rested his head on his paws again.

The piano was soft and light. It ran like a gentle stream, trickling over pebbles as it bumbled through the landscape. In her head, Kumu was transported to the depths of the forest, watching the veins of water stream away from the volcanic rock. Around her everything was warm and bright and luscious. Greenery grew like moss on rocks, and it just felt... nice.

Kumu chuckled as she quietly filled the coffee machine. If this was what Juliet liked to listen to it was little wonder that she wasn't pleased when Thomas came stumbling in drunk and singing Two Doors Down at full volume.

That was unusual though. Really it was Rick's fault. He had heard that a Country Festival was happening over on Maui and decided to host a Dolly Parsons Night to get in the spirit. It worked. They almost sold out of tequila altogether.

But that was Rick. Rick liked party songs. He liked karaoke. He liked music that brought people together to get drunk and yell along to. Music that was made to be _enjoyed_ rather than listened to.

Juliet was not like that. Far from it. She liked this. The nice, calm, relaxing bubbling brooks captured on piano wire. And this was nice too.

A rich warm aroma of coffee was swirling through the room as the music rose towards the ending. It reached the part where Kumu imagined the stream becoming a river and tumbling over a cliff as a beautiful waterfall cascading into the ocean, and she smiled to herself.

It wasn't often that Robin's Nest felt calm these days.

_WOULDN'T IT BE NICE, IF WE WERE OLD-ER - THEN WE WOULDN'T HAFF TO WAIT SO LONG_

Kumu yelped as she almost spilt freshly brewed coffee across her hand. Juliet snapped up to attention as both dogs scrambled to their feet. Juliet's hand moved towards the gun that she kept in the third draw down, but it eased when she realised who had broken the peace.

"Kumu! Are you okay?!" She asked urgently.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Kumu assured her as she put the coffee down and shook her hand dry. She put her hand on her hip. "Rick got to you, huh?"

Juliet's chest tightened at the accusation. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to burn my hand!" Kumu said.

Juliet shifted on the couch so she was kneeling up to see her better. "Kumu, it's not what it sounds like-"

"There's no reason to be embarrassed, taking an interest in your friends tastes is a nice thing to do. Rick's taste is questionable, but its a nice idea," Kumu said.

Juliet clenched her jaw to stop herself from swallowing nervously, "I'm not interested in Rick, Kumu."

"No?" Kumu asked.

She knew better. Juliet tried to hide her smile. She had tried to stop herself smiling altogether but it was impossible. It was also impossible to hide matters of the heart from Kumu.

"Y’know The Beach Boys are his favourite band," she said, pointedly.

"Coincidence, I'm sure," Juliet lied.

Kumu scoffed. "Sure. That's why they’re on your personalized playlist. _Coincidence."_

"Music doesn't mean anything kumu," Juliet insisted.

"Y’know I read something about heartbeats keeping time with the beat of whatever songs you listen to. That’s why they bring people together, your hearts beat in sync," Kumu said.

"What do you mean, that I'm somehow trying to synchronise my heart with Rick's?! That’s preposterous, _and_ probably biologically impossible!" Juliet insisted urgently.

"Nothing is impossible when it comes to love," Kumu said.

"I'm not in love Kumu!"

"Oh honey. You don’t have to feel it to be in love. Sometimes you never notice until its too late."

Kumu gave a solemn nod of her head as Juliet slid back down the sofa, eyes wide, and heart thumping. The door clattered as Kumu left again. She left Juliet's mind spinning. 

What if she was in love with Rick? Where would that take her? Into a dying bar being propped up on stilts by someone desperately trying to keep afloat. Someone with no business plan and no money. Someone who would let their insurance slide just to keep their staff being paid... who would hire a down on his luck solider and give him somewhere to call home beyond the boot of his car. Who build houses for the military and their families who needed help. Someone who always leant a friendly ear. Who was passionate and dedicated and loyal to a fault.

Someone who had a checkered past and was trying hard to keep it behind them. She could relate to that. He had always tried to be kind to her, even when she thought of him as nothing more than one of Magnum's enabling friends. Because he cared about people. Even strangers. And he made her want to be a better person because of that. 

Because she loved him.

_You know it seems the more we talk about it, it only makes it worse to li-i-ive without it. But let's ta-a-alk about it. Oh, wouldn't it be nice?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really thought this was done but turns out there was one chapter left. This time it's done though. I promise. Probably.

"You sure this is gonna work?"

"Trust me, Ricky can _never_ resist a brother as smooth as Ben E King. And if that doesn’t work, I've got Freddy Mercury lined up."

"Juliet does like Queen..."

TC chuckled knowingly. It was always good to have a back up plan, but he was confident in his own even if Kumu wasn't.

"So what do you need me to do again?" She asked.

"All you gotta to is be my out. I'll set em up, slip away with you, and see where they fall," TC said.

Kumu hummed dubiously, "I dunno this seems too easy."

"Hey, look at them over there-" TC nudged her to turn towards the bar.

Juliet had taken a seat on one of the stools claiming it was the best place in here to get WI-FI. It wasn't. They had set up a better corner at the edge of the bar, closest to the router specifically for people who needed WI-FI in the mornings because so many people needed to apply for jobs and didn't have their own internet for whatever reasons. TC set it up himself. And rather than correct her, which he could have easily done, Rick allowed her to stay by the bar where she was close enough to chat.

Instead of doing his usual thing of pacing the bar, talking to everyone in passing, he kept quickly wandering down the line, checking in and filling orders before wandering straight back to her. She barely even looked at her laptop.

"Do you wanna watch them lying to themselves for the rest of time?" TC asked.

Kumu pursed her lips. She watched as Juliet laughed and reached out to grab his arm imploringly, and he pulled a face that looked like he was going to continue their little jokes. It was hard to watch them and not see what they couldn't.

Idiots.

She turned back to TC. "See you at the bar."

TC grinned. He left Kumu hovering by the sound system and wandered over to sit at the bar with the others. Both Rick and Juliet looked a little put out as he climbed onto a stool between them. Kumu chuckled to herself. She pressed play instantly.

"I was just say that-" Rick began.

"Hold up..." TC held up a hand to stop him speaking. "yall hear that?"

"Hear what?" Juliet frowned.

TC pressed a finger to his lips to try and get them to listen. As the song began to lift up towards being heard, TC let out a laugh like he had no idea this was coming. Kumu smirked. TC may have been a bad liar but he was an amazing actor when it mattered. Rick lit up as it dawned on him what was playing. He laughed, and TC started drumming along to the beat on the bar between them. Juliet rested her chin on her hand to watch, amused. Rick grabbed the soda nozzle to use as a microphone. It was the first thing that came to hand.

"When the night!" He cried.

TC learned forward to mouth percuss along with him, "Ah pa!"

"has come!" Rick cried.

"Bu-ba-buh," TC nudged Juliet with his hip.

She giggled sheepishly and bit her lip. With TC grinning in encouragement, she clicked her fingers and humming along to the beat with him.

"And the land is dark..." Rick grinned to see Juliet play along for a change, "And the moon. is the on-ly. light we'll see."

"Buh-ba-buh, chicka-"

TC stood up to sway his hips as he sang along. Juliet's voice shook as she held in a laugh, but she stood up to copy him. Rick's grin grew, as did his volume.

"No I won't! be afraid! Oh, I won't... be a-fraid, just as long!"

"Hmmm, chicka-" Juliet wriggled her hips as she got into the groove and TC laughed encouragingly.

"As you stand, stand by me!" Rick beamed.

Kumu watched the way that Juliet was enjoying herself, laughing and swaying between hums and clicks. It was time.

"So darling, _darling,_ stand! by me!" Rick sang, passionately, "Oh-h-h stand! by me!"

Juliet slowed as she watched Kumu tug at TC's arm. He bent down to let her whisper in his ear. She pretended to, but said nothing. He nodded and allowed her to lead him away. Curiosity piqued, Juliet missed a beat and Rick's eyes opened, confused.

"Oh stand now, stand by me. Stand by me," he continued singing.

Juliet watched TC and Kumu wander away for a moment longer, before Rick knocked on the bar. Juliet looked back at him.

"If the sky that we look upo-on!" He sang, while waving his hand in a circle to try and get her to join in again.

Juliet had lost the rhythm though. Instead, she leaned across the bar to reach the microphone. To do so brought her head within touching distance of his chest. Had the bar not been digging into her gut at the time, she might have noticed the catch in his breath. Her eyes sparkled as she tugged the soda nozzle towards her.

"Should tumble and fall!" She sang.

His eyebrows rose, and his heart was thumping. Not one to let a good thing go, Rick kept singing, "Or the mount-ain. should crum-ble to the sea!"

While he sang his line, Juliet turned to haul herself up and sit on top of the bar. It made it easier to share the nozzle, but it also put her a lot closer to Rick than he had expected her to be tonight."

"I won't cry!" He choked.

"I won't cry!" She echoed.

"No-o-o, I won't! shed a tear!" He sang.

Juliet ducked her head down so her cheek was almost pressed against his and they sang into the fake microphone together, "Just as long! as you st-and! Stand by me! Stand by me!"

Juliet smiled brightly as she tilted her head towards Rick. Rick's eyes were wide and his chest was tight. He was painfully aware of how close her mouth was to his. How close her skin was to his. He could practically feel the warmth radiating from it, despite the way her long purple chiffon skirt tumbled across the bar.

Kumu slammed the back of her hand against TC's arm eagerly. TC chuckled, but he rubbed his arm where he was hit. Her rings hurt!

Juliet's eyes flicked from Rick's eyes to his lips despite herself. Her stomach clenched. He was so close to her right now that if she just ducked her head - her chest tightened. Like she had been electrocuted, Juliet snapped herself upright. She slid off of the bar as quickly as she could to put more space between the two of them. Her eyes were fixed onto her laptop as she ran a hand across the back of her neck and hoped he wouldn't notice how hot her cheeks suddenly felt.

"Y-you - uh, you've improved," she stated.

Rick's throat felt like sawdust but he choked out, "I have?"

"Mmhmm!" she squeaked, nodding, "I remember when you were singing Dancing In The Street at Robin's Nest, I'm sure I saw the lads run for cover."

"Oh-ho is that so?!" Rick laughed.

Hearing him laugh did something to her chest that felt so strange. It simultaneously eased the tension in her and made it ache.

"Quite," she nodded.

"I'll prove you wrong, what's on next?" He asked.

"I have no idea, why would I?" She scoffed.

"Shh, let me hear," Rick said.

He waved a hand to try and shush her, as if she had made a sound. She hadn't. Had another else hushed her so vigorously like this she would have made them regret it. Not Rick though. For him she just arched an eyebrow and closed her mouth.

_Ca-a-an..._

Freddy Mercury's voice breathed into the room and Rick's face twisted as if he had died and entered heaven. This was one of his favourite songs. Juliet bit back a grin to see how quickly he leapt into performance. She adored Queen.

He screwed his eyes shut to bellow out, "An-y-bo-dy!"

Juliet sucked in her lips to hide her smile, "Fi-i-ind me-e-e!"

"Some-bo-dy to-o-o!" Rick sang.

" _Lo-o-ove?!_ "

He opened his eyes, grinning eagerly, only to lock onto Juliet's as she smiled warmly at his. His face fell suddenly into the picture of fear as his heart thundered again. Juliet bit her lip harder as her cheeks flushed. Her eyes widened as she felt herself swallow. Wordlessly, fearfully, she swivelled on her heels, and hurried out of the bar. Rick felt his heart beating hard against his chest as he watched her go.

He had no idea what had just happened, but suddenly, out of nowhere, he had a feeling this was less of a one way thing than he thought. That both struck fear into his heart, and filled him with hope.

Kumu however, dropped back into her seat and threw up a hand like she had been cheated. "Oh what a cop out! I feel ripped off."

"Pump the breaks there Kumu! It's all good, we're just going slow so we don’t frighten them," TC declared.

"Put the fear of God into them if it makes them hurry up!" Kumu grumbled.

"Y’know what they say, slow is smooth and smooth is fast. We're right on track," TC promised.

He was smugly satisfied with the way this had worked out. They weren’t playing blind anymore. That alone could spark something. It was going to take a long time, a lot of patience, and some gentle nudging, but it was nothing TC hadn't done before.

Matchmaking and bomb defusing were more similar than some people might think.

Blushing like a tomato, Rick tried hard to bury himself back into work. He cleaned off the soda nozzle and it brought back images of Juliet's lips within reaching distance of his. He clenched it a little too roughly and accidentally sprayed himself with it. In alarm he threw his arm out and knocked a plate off the side. It smashed at his feet. His root beer soaked arm dripped onto it. Kumu's shoulders sagged to watch him.

"Yep. Right on track to a train crash."


End file.
